Metropolitan Opera Archives

Francesco Valentino, as Barnaba, and Anthony Marlowe, as Isepo, sang their roles for the first time this season in the third "Gioconda." The rest of the cast consisted of Daniza Ilitsch, Rise Stevens, Margaret Harshaw, Richard Tucker, Giacomo Vaghi, Osie Hawkins, Lawrence Davidson, Leslie Chabay, Philip Kinsman and John Baker, with Emil Cooper conducting and, of course, the ballet in the disgracefully choreographed, ill executed melange that passes for the "Dance of the Hours." Mr. Valentino was somewhat less effective in "La Gioconda" than in operas calling for less volume of tone, for under pressure his voice tended to slip out of focus. Many passages came out well, however, and his conception of the odious character was consistent and strongly projected. Miss Ilitsch's magnificent voice was a bit recalcitrant at first, but long before the "Suicidio" soliloquy it had limbered up. Her sweeping delivery of all her music in the last act was impressive. In the final duet with Mr. Valentino her full-voice coloratura came off spectacularly and earlier in the act she achieved a thrilling high C, the first she has sung here with full resonance and rich vibrato.

Search by season: 1947-48

Search by title: La Gioconda,

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